


The Journey Home

by gum_tree_betty1



Category: Hawaii Five-O (1968)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slash In later chapters, first time in later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-24 00:52:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14944548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gum_tree_betty1/pseuds/gum_tree_betty1
Summary: Words were said in anger; a friendship was torn apart. Can one forgive the other and make the long journey home?





	1. Chapter 1

After scribbling his name to the bottom of the report, Danny Williams slowly closed the file and pushed it aside as his eyes wandered to the phone in front of him. Running his hand over his head, he forced himself to resist the urge to pick it up and dial the number he knew by heart. What was done was done and the only real choice he had left was to cut all ties and move on. He reminded himself that he had to leave the past behind him and not look back. It was just too painful to revisit.

"Hey partner, stop day dreamin' 'bout that hot date you have tonight, we’ve got work to do." Benjie Melendez slapped Danny's shoulder as he sailed past his new partner’s desk. "That ten we gave Rollings yesterday really paid off, he just gave me a call."

Jumping up from his chair, Danny hurried to catch up with his partner, "Does he know where Touman is?"

"Better than that, kiddo, he says Touman's about to make a big sale."

"Where?" Danny asked as they skirted around officers and civilians in the foyer and headed towards the doors leading outside.

"The old warehouse down near the docks," Benjie told him as they ran out of the station and across the parking lot to their car.

Opening the door, Danny barely had enough time to slide in and close the door as Benjie gunned the engine, spinning the tires on the slick pavement as the car lurched forward and they sped out of the police parking lot, turning left to head towards the docks. "I have a couple of the uniform guys there already with eyes on the place. Told them to stay put and not to move in until we get there." Benjie grinned as Danny grabbed the dash in an attempt to stop himself from sliding across the seat as he took the corner a little too fast.

OoOoOoO

Sam Ratherson looked up as the familiar faded olive green LTD turned through the gates and pulled up in a billowing cloud of dust close to his squad car. He shook his head in amusement, instantly knowing who was in the driver's seat. He wasn't sure who had been insane enough to have given Benjie Melendez his license, but he did know he personally would never be crazy enough to ride with him. Trotting across to the LTD as Benjie and Danny climbed out, he nodded towards the edge of the building where his partner was watching the abandoned warehouse just around the corner. "We spotted Touman when he arrived, he went straight inside, two other men joined him about ten minutes ago. "

"Did you recognize either of them?" the older Narcotics HPD officer asked as they hurried across to join Sam's partner before Danny took a quick peek around the corner.

"No, both were haoles, they were dressed in flashy suits and ties," Sam answered before tilting his head towards Danny and smirking, "just like ya partner wore when he worked Five-O. Maybe they even buy their suits from the same fancy tailor."

"Hopefully they will give Danny some decent fashion tips when we arrest them, maybe even give him some advice about some of those suits and ties he used to wear to work." Benjie teased Danny, lightly squeezing the younger man's shoulder as he stepped around him and glanced at the warehouse before he stepped back and grew serious. "Sam, you and Max take the back, Danny and I will go through the front. Give us a couple of minutes to get into position and then move in."

"Okay Benj," the patrol officer nodded, slapping his own partner on the shoulder before they ran, crouched low, over across to the back of the warehouse they had been watching.

Turning back to Danny as he unholstered his gun, Benjie grinned excitedly, "Ready, kiddo?"

"Ready," Danny nodded, unholstering his own weapon, as he followed his partner across to the front of the old abandoned warehouse.

OoOoOoOoO

"I want you and Chin to go back and interview Cooke's neighbors, maybe one of them will remember something they forgot to tell us yesterday," Steve ordered Kono as he handed his Hawaiian detective back the manila folder he had been perusing.

"Done, Boss," Kono answered as he turned and hurried out of the office, side- stepping around the HPD sergeant who had suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Duke?" Steve frowned as he looked up at Duke Lukela, surprised to see Duke standing there. The sympathetic look on the HPD sergeant’s face warned Steve that something had happened.

"Steve, I have some bad news. I just received a phone call from Roberts in Narcotics, he thought I …you…would want to know," Duke answered quietly as he stepped inside the office and pushed the door closed behind him before turning back to face the man sitting at the desk who was watching him anxiously. "It's Danny, Steve, apparently, he was involved in some sort of a raid on a warehouse down on the docks. Roberts told me that it appears that he and his partner may have been set-up, they walked right into an ambush. Danny took a round to the stomach, he's been taken straight into surgery, Roberts said it…it doesn't sound good."

Jumping up from his desk, Steve turned and grabbed his coat before he turned and ran towards the door, demanding as he passed Duke, "Why didn't Roberts contact me directly? I'm listed as Danno's next-of-kin."

"Not anymore, Steve, Danny must have changed who was listed as his next-of-kin when he transferred back to HPD. He made it pretty clear when he left Five-O that any friendship between the two of you was over, remember?"

"It was just the anger talking," Steve answered quietly, his chest tightening with guilt and regret over what had happened between them as he opened his office door, "We both said some things to each other in the heat of the moment, things that neither of us really meant."

"Are you sure, Steve?" Duke frowned, aware that he was walking on eggshells as he added, "Because Danny transferring across to HPD and Narcotics told me that he took whatever happened between the two of you to heart."


	2. Chapter 2

"What the hell happened, Benjie?" Tom Roberts demanded, glaring at his detective before glancing over the younger man's shoulder as he watched the elevator doors open and Steve McGarrett step out. The lead Five-O detective quickly looked around before he turned and hurried towards them.

"I told you Tom, it had to be a set-up." Benjie answered defensively, running a hand down his face, leaving it resting on his chin, as he looked down the corridor towards the closed operating room doors. Looking back at his boss, he shrugged, "They had to know that we were coming because Danny was hit as soon as we went through the door." He paused and stared at Steve as Steve hurried across to join them.

"Any word yet on, Danny?" Steve asked anxiously.

"Took a round to the stomach, Steve, he lost a lot of blood. It didn't look good when they took him into surgery, he was losing blood as fast as they were pumping it into him." The HPD Captain told Steve before he looked at the upset man standing beside him and began to hastily make the introductions, "Steve, this is Detective Benjie Melendez, Williams's partner, Benjie, this is Mister McGarrett, Five-O."

"I know who he is." Benjie interrupted his boss, his obvious disdain towards Steve evident in his voice, as he looked the Five-O leader up and down, "What's he doing here?"

"Williams was McGarrett’s partner in Five-O,” Tom frowned, unhappy with the younger man's rude tone. "I knew he would want to be informed that Danny has been wounded."

"Why would he?" Benjie snarled as he turned back to his captain.

"I might not be Danny's partner at the moment, son, but I am still his friend." Steve answered, casting a quick glance at Roberts before returning his attention back to the young insolent Narcotics detective standing in front of him, as he tried to keep his temper at the young man’s rudeness under control.

"That's not the way Williams tells it." Melendez retorted as he turned back to glare at Steve, "So why don't we just cut out the crap,  _Sir_ , we both know you're the reason why the kid transferred across from the cushy job of  Five-O’s  Second-In-Command to us. And from little bits and pieces I have managed to wrangle out of Danny about why he left Five-O, I also know there is no friendship left between the two of you. So why don't you tell me again, _Sir_ , just what the Hell are you doing here now?"

"Melendez that's enough!" Roberts warned his upset office as he grabbed the younger man's arm and turned him forcibly towards the chairs lined against the wall as he ordered sternly, "You have the choice of sitting down over there and cooling off while we wait for word on Williams's condition or you can get back to the station and write out a full report of what happened today. Your choice, hotshot!"

Shrugging loose of his captain's tight hold, Benjie lifted his hands in a silent show of surrender before he turned and stalked away.

"So, what happened, Tom?" Steve asked quietly, pushing the guilt of what had happened between him and Danny away as he glanced at Benjie, who had walked across to the closed operating room doors to stare through the doors' windows, before he looked back at the Narcotics captain. "Duke said Danny was shot during a raid on a warehouse down on the docks."

"I haven't got the full details of what happened yet, Steve, but from the little I do know, Melendez and Williams received a tip about a suspect they’ve been chasing for the last three weeks was involved in a big buy that was about to go down on the docks. The tip must have been some sort of a set-up because when they moved in to make the arrest the suspects were waiting for them. Williams was hit before they even got through the door. He was bleeding bad, if Melendez hadn't decided not to wait for an ambulance and got him to the hospital himself, I have no doubts that Williams would have died too." Tom rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the floor as he quietly confessed, “Williams is my third officer to be taken down in similar types of raids in the last six months.”

“Third?” Steve frowned before he remembered the two Narcotics officers who had been lost in the line of duty during the past year. Narcotics was a dangerous job and he had been horrified when he had heard that Danny had transferred into Narcotics in his rush to get away from Five-O and him.

Roberts nodded, “But he was lucky, he made it to the hospital, my two other guys, Adam Rodriguez and Brian Stanton weren't so lucky, they both died at the scene during two other raids. First Rodriguez, then Stanton and now Williams, all taken out in raids after getting tips of buys involving their suspects were going down. Someone's setting up my guys and taking them out one by one, Steve, and I don't have a clue who it is or even why." Tom sighed as the doors to the operating room opened and the surgeon stepped out.

Hurrying across with Tom to where the surgeon stood talking to Melendez, Steve asked anxiously, "How is he, Doc?"

"Detective Williams's condition is critical but stable, we will be transferring him to the ICU shortly. The bullet tore through his spleen causing massive hemorrhaging before lodging in his stomach. We were forced to remove his spleen to control the bleeding and have repaired the tear in his stomach. We will be observing him closely for the next forty-eight hours in the ICU for any complications caused by the massive blood loss or signs of any infection, such as peritonitis, caused by the stomach wound. We have commenced him on antibiotics and are replacing the blood he has lost. But he’s young and strong, he has a good chance of a full recovery.”

“What about losing his spleen, Doc? I mean…”

“What sort of affects will it have on his life and his career as a cop?” the doctor finished Benjie’s question.

The Narcotics officer nodded.

“If there is one organ that if you need to have removed, the spleen is the best one for it to be. It's the one organ that you can live without and the one organ you can lose, and it won’t affect your ability to be a cop or live a normal, active live. But that's not saying that Detective Williams is not going to have to be mindful that he no longer has it, without his spleen, he will be more prone to infections and catching any colds or illnesses going around.”  

"When can we see him?" Steve asked anxiously.

"Not until tomorrow, he needs to rest. Now, if you will excuse me, I have other patients to see."

Watching the doctor walk away, Melendez angrily spun around and stepped in front of Steve. "I told you before, McGarrett, Danny doesn't want anything to do with you! So why don't you run back to Five-O where you belong, keep your nose out of our business and leave him alone."

"And _I_   told you, Melendez, enough! I will talk to you later about your attitude, if you are lucky enough and Mister McGarrett does not bring you up on charges before I get back to the station, because if I was him, I would!" Roberts growled as he stepped in between the two men, physically pushing Melendez away as he glared at his detective, "Now get back to the station and get your report about what happened today written. I want it signed and on my desk by the time I get back from talking with the Chief. Get going!"

Shaking his head as Melendez spun on his heel and stormed away, Tom looked at Steve apologetically and said, "Sorry about that Steve, he's normally a good cop, but he's become a bit protective of Williams. You know how partners can be."

"Yeah." Steve sighed, aware of just how protective he was of Danny, himself. In the two years, he had known Danno, Danno had become much more than subordinate and his Second-In-Command, Danny had become his closet friend, despite the tension between them at the moment. He was just grateful that he still had the chance to make things right between them again. He knew he owed Danno an apology for what had happened between them, and all he could hope was Danno would listen long enough to him to hear it.

"Seeing Williams get shot right in front of him today has really rattled him, I'm afraid. I know they haven't been partners long but they have become quite good friends." Steve blinked as he realized the HPD captain was still talking to him, and he nodded as Tom promised, "I promise I will have a few stern words with him when I get back to the station, but I would really appreciate it if you decide not to bring him up on charges."

Slapping the other man on the shoulder, Steve forced a small smile, "Don't be too hard on him, Tom, he's just upset over what happened to Danny today. We've both been there ourselves."

"Thanks Steve," Tom nodded, allowing a breath of relief to escaped as they walked towards the elevator.

"Tom, I was wondering, who were the uniformed officers involved in today's raid?"

The Narcotics captain frowned as he hit the button for the elevator before he glanced at Steve, "Ratherson and Martins, why?"

Steve shrugged as the elevator doors slid open and they stepped inside. "I just wanted to thank them for helping Melendez save Danny's life. It means a lot to me."

"What happened between you and Williams anyway, Steve? I know that he was your Second-In-Command, but I also know that you were close friends. Now Williams changes the subject every time your name is mentioned. I asked him, but he refused to talk about it, just said he wanted out of Five-O." Tom frowned as he hit the button to take them down to the lobby.

Steve looked down as a ripple of guilt stabbed through his soul as he remembered the last angry words he had spoken to Danny in his office that night. "It was just a stupid misunderstanding, one that should never have happened." he sighed as the elevator door slid open and he stepped outside.

 OoOoOoO

Walking into HPD, Steve spotted the two officers he wanted to talk to and he hurried to catch up with them as they headed towards the squad room and probably roll call. "Officer Ratherson, Officer Martins, can I speak with you for a moment?" he asked as he reached the two men.

"Something wrong, Sir?" Chris Martins asked nervously, recognizing the Five-O lead detective instantly.

"No." Steve quickly reassured the two officers as he placed his hands on their backs and gently steered them away from the squad room door and to an area where they could speak more privately. "I just wanted to thank the two of you for helping Detective Melendez save Detective Williams’s life today. If it wasn't for your quick actions in getting Danny to the hospital…" Steve paused, unable to vocalize what had been his worst fears after he had found out Danno had been shot.

"How is Danny…I mean Detective Williams?"

"Critical but the doctors are hopeful that he should make a full recovery." Steve smiled, the relief he felt was written clearly on his face.

"Thank God!" Sam murmured, as he looked at his partner and admitted softly, "I really thought we had lost him in the car."

"I was wondering, just what happened at the warehouse today?" Steve frowned, noticing the two officers glance nervously at each other as both hesitated before answering.

"I'm not sure just if we can tell you much more than what is in our reports and what Detective Melendez and Detective Williams can tell you." Sam shrugged, "But we were ordered to watch the warehouse until Detectives Melendez and Williams got there and then to join them when they moved in. We saw the suspect and two other men arrive and enter the warehouse just before Melendez and Williams arrived."

"Benjie had us cover the back while he and Danny took the front but when we tried to go in the back door was locked and we couldn't gain access." Chris chimed in before rushing on, "As soon as we heard the shots we raced around to the front but by the time we got there it was all over, Danny was on the ground outside and Benjie was leaning over him, trying to stop the bleeding."

"What about the three suspects?" Steve asked, again noticing the furtive glances the two partners traded with each other before Chris reluctantly answered.

"They were gone."

"Gone? How?" 

"Not sure, sir." Sam shrugged, "I… I guess they must have escaped out the back while after we headed around the front of the building and while Benjie was trying to get Danny to safety. All I can tell you is by the time we made it around the front, the only ones there were Danny and Benjie and when we searched the warehouse, it was empty."

"What happened then?" Steve frowned.

"Well, Danny, I mean Detective Williams was bleeding heavily and Benjie was worried he would bleed out before an ambulance could get there, so Benjie got us to put Danny into the back of their car. I guess after what happened to Brian Stanton, Benjie wasn't going to take another chance of losing a partner again. So, Benjie got in the back with Danny to keep the pressure on the wound while I drove his car. We managed to get Danny to the hospital in under five minutes."

"Melendez has lost another partner?" Steve’s frown deepened as a sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.

"Yeah, Brian Stanton." Chris answered quietly, uncertain of what the Mister was fishing for, "Benjie and Brian were partners until Brian was killed during a raid the two of them carried out on the docks about five months ago. Brian was hit as they entered the building. He died in Benjie's arms before the ambulance arrived.”

“You were there?”

“We were both there.” Chris nodded, tilting his head towards his partner as he answered, “We're usually the backup team for the Narcotics officers when they go out on raids.”

“Benjie took it hard, real hard, especially after the same thing happened to Adam less than a month before." Sam told Steve softly.

"Melendez was friends with Rodriquez?" The sick feeling in the pit of Steve’s stomach increased.

"Yeah, Benjie, Brian and Adam often worked cases together." Chris explained.

"Benjie took it hard when Adam was killed during a big raid with the rest of the Narcotics team earlier this year. Adam was the first guy to enter the house and was killed going in. Then a month later, he lost Brian in the same way, and now Danny…" Sam shrugged as Chris nudged him and nodded towards the squad room before he rushed on, "Sorry Sir, but it's roll call, we’re both doing a double shift and we really have to get in there. Sarge is already annoyed with us for letting the suspects escape earlier today, he will have us walking our patrol tonight if we're late for roll call."

“When you see Danny next, please can you tell him to hurry up and get well from us and we both come and see him when he is well enough for visitors.” Chris asked, glancing worriedly over his shoulder at the squad room as he heard Sarge call his name.

Steve nodded distractedly as the two officers turned and hurried into the squad room, as Roberts’ and the two young officers’ words were replayed over and over in his mind, _'You see Steve, Williams is my third officer to be taken down in similar types of raids. But he was lucky, he made it to the hospital. My other two guys, Adam Rodriguez and Brian Stanton weren't so lucky, they both died at the scene during two other raids. Someone's setting up my guys and taking them out one by one, Steve, and I don't have a clue who it is or even why.'_

_‘Benjie took it hard when Adam was killed during a big raid with the rest of the narcotics team earlier this year. Then a month later he lost Brian in the same way, and now Danny…’_

Steve turned and slowly walked towards the door, two cops killed and Danno injured, all taken down during drug raids and all in the company of one officer, Danno's new partner- Melendez.


	3. Chapter 3

Slowly cruising down Hotel Street, Benjie Melendez glanced down at his watch, aware that Roberts was not going to be happy that he had not returned to the station as he had been ordered to. He would deal with Roberts later, but for now he had a little bit of payback to take care of, payback for Danny. A small, grim smile graced Benjie's lips as he saw the man he was searching for.

 Pulling up to the curb, he climbed out of his LTD and leaned against it as he watched Rollins walk towards him. The small-time drug dealer seemed totally oblivious to his presence as Rollins shuffled quickly along the empty street, constantly checking over his shoulder as if he was worried that he was being followed. Stepping forward as Rollins passed, Benjie roughly grabbed the smaller man's arm as he steered him across the footpath and into the garbage littered alleyway before he shoved him roughly against the door of the old derelict building that formed one wall of the alleyway. "Worried someone's looking for you, Tommy?” he growled as he moved closer, placing his hand against the door above Rollins' head as he deliberately towered over the terrified man. "Someone like me, maybe?"

"Detective Melendez." Rollins gasped as he tried to back away from the angry Narcotics police officer a little but was stopped by the closed door behind him, "I…I heard what went down at the warehouse…"

"I'm sure you did!" Benjie snarled.

"I…I didn't know what Touman had planned, I swear. If I had have known it was some sort of a set up, I … I … would never have tipped you off." the smaller man whimpered in fear.

"I believe you, Tommy." Benjie suddenly smiled as he stepped back a step and gently began to smooth the drug dealer's ruffled shirt.

"You do?" Tommy gasped in surprise before he frowned nervously, terrified by the cop's sudden friendliness.

"Of course, I do." Benjie lightly patted the other man's cheek. "Why wouldn't I?"

The other man swallowed hard and nodded, too scared to speak or even move, as he watched Benjie chew his bottom lip for a moment. He jumped and pressed himself back against the door as the cop suddenly frowned and stared at him.

"Unless…unless Touman offered you more money to help set me and my partner up than I gave you for snitchin'." Stepping closer, he leaned down so his face was only inches away from his snitch, Benjie asked quietly, "Is that what happened, Tommy? Did Touman offer you a better deal to set up me and my partner? Maybe to get us killed?"

"No… no, Detective Melendez," Tommy shook his head hard, desperate for the furious cop to believe him, "I swear I'm telling you the truth. I would never set you up that way. You've been too good to me. Please, you have to believe me, I never knew it was a set up…"

"You never knew…" Benjie breathed quietly as he reached behind his back and pulled out the small, unauthorized back up gun he had started carrying since Brian was killed. Pressing it hard under his snitch's chin, forcing Tommy's head to tilt painfully back against the door, "You never knew? Just like Nelson never knew when he set me and my partner up six months ago and got my partner killed?"

"I swear, I never…" Tommy moaned in fear.

"You never knew. Yeah, yeah, you already told me that you would never help set me and Williams up for Touman."

"I swear, Detective Melendez, I didn't set you or Detective Williams up." Tommy choked as the gun pressed painfully into the bottom of his chin, forcing his head back against the door, making it hard to breathe as he pleaded, "I just told you what I heard on the street about the buy going down, honest…" he choked again before he managed to wheeze, "Please, you have to believe me."

"No, Tommy, that's where you are wrong," Benjie hissed coldly as his finger tightened on the trigger, "I don't have to believe you, just like I didn’t have to believe Nelson when he claimed the same thing. And we both know what happened to him," Benjie smiled as he pulled the trigger, “he was found dead in an alleyway just like you.”

Stepping back, he tucked his gun back into his belt behind his back while he watched the small man's body tumble to the ground, leaving a trail of blood and gore down the door. Pulling out a white handkerchief from his pocket, he swiped away some blood splatter he could feel on his face as he looked down at his snitch's body and the growing red puddle of blood that was spreading out beneath it. "That's for setting me and my partner up!" he growled softly, kicking the motionless body.


	4. Chapter 4

Hearing the light rap on his cubicle wall, Chin looked up from the report he was reading as McGarrett walked past. Pushing the report away, he stood up and followed McGarrett into his office, closing the door behind him. "Steve, Duke told us about what happened with the Narcotics raid this morning. How's Danny?"  he asked as he sat down on one of the white high back chairs in front of McGarrett’s large desk.

"He's critical but stable, he took a round in the stomach." Steve answered guiltily as he sat down. He swallowed hard, struggling to keep his composure as he remembered hearing the details of the shooting and just how close he had come to losing Danno. Drawing a deep breath, he lightly cleared the large lump that had formed in his throat before he continued, "He … he lost a lot of blood at the scene and they had to remove his spleen to control the bleeding, but the doc said barring any unforeseen complications, he should be good for a full recovery."

"Thank God!" Chin breathed softly, from what little information Duke had been able to tell him about the failed narcotics raid he knew that Danny's condition had been very much touch and go at the scene.  He waited for Steve to continue, aware that there was something more on his boss's mind. He was rewarded several heartbeats later when Steve asked softly, "Chin, do you know anything about Danny's new partner?"

"Benjie Melendez?" Chin frowned.

Steve nodded, watching him closely.

Chin shrugged, uncertain of what Steve wanted to know or why. "Not much, only that he has been working Narcotics for the last three years. From what I heard he's a bit of a paniolo, Boss, but he always ends up getting results, why?"

The sick feeling in Steve's gut intensified as he answered Chin's question with another question of his own, "Did you know that Narcotics have lost two good officers in the last in the last six months, in raids similar as the raid that Danny was involved in today?"

Chin nodded, hearing about a fallen officer was something no officer forgot, but when one heard about two officers being lost in such a short period of time, it was something that tended to stay with an officer for a long time. "Yeah, Rodriguez and Stanton." Looking across at Steve, his frown deepened in confusion, "But we both know that Narcotics raids can be dangerous, Steve, and sometimes officers are injured or killed."

"I know Chin, but what would you think if I told you that there was one Narcotics officer who was involved in each one of these raids…"

"Melendez?"

Steve nodded as the phone on his desk began to ring.

"Steve…" Chin warned softly, realizing just where Steve was headed as Steve reached for the phone, snapping, "McGarrett," as he pressed it to his ear. Listening to the caller for a few seconds, he answered, "We’re on our way!” Slamming down the phone, he stood up and grabbed his coat, "There's been a shooting in a small alleyway on Hotel. HPD is requesting us to attend." he told Chin over his shoulder as Chin stood up and ran after him out of the office

OoOoOoO

Spotting the two Five-O officers as they entered the alleyway, Roberts softly spoke to the coroner who was inspecting the body before he hurried across to join Steve and Chin.

Steve looked at the Narcotics captain in surprise as Tom joined them, quickly introducing Chin to the Narcotics captain before he turned back to Tom, "Tom, what are you doing here?" He paused, glancing across at the bloodied body sprawled in the doorway before he looked back at Tom and asked almost cautiously, praying that he was wrong, "He's not one of your guys, is he?"

Roberts shook his head, "No, no, he's not one of mine, but he is one of Benjie's and Danny's snitches. His name's Thomas Rollins, a small-time dealer who makes ends meet by occasionally giving us some useful bits of information." Turning and walking back towards the body with Steve as Lee headed across to join two officers who were talking to two potential witnesses, Tom continued, "It was his tip that led to this morning's raid."

Pausing to look around the scene as they reached the body, Steve frowned, "Who found the body?"

The Narcotic's captain hesitated before he answered softly, "Benjie."

Steve turned and stared at him in surprise, "Benjie Melendez? Danny's partner?"

Tom nodded.

"But I thought you sent him back to headquarters."

"I did," the Narcotics captain sighed, "but Benjie decided to find Rollins to bring him in to answer a few questions about this morning's raid. But when he found him… I guess it was too late. Looks like someone is wrapping up loose ends and decided to shut Rollins up permanently, before he could talk. Benjie's sitting in my car, writing out his statement while things are still fresh in his mind."

Steve nodded but said no more as Roberts turned and walked back towards his car. Returning his attention back to the body , Steve knelt beside Doc who was still examining and asked,  "What have we got, Doc?"

"Gunshot wound under the chin, Steve, by the look of the entry would I would guess it was probably from a .38. Death would have been instantaneous, not much left of the back of his head. Looks like he was killed here, and his body fell to the ground." Steve nodded his agreement as he looked up at the bloody smear that trailed down the wall as the coroner continued, "Time of death I would say was no longer than an hour ago, the body's still warm and the blood is still congealing. There is stippling and burn marks around the entry wound, but I will be able to tell you more once I get him on the table."

"Thanks Doc," Steve smiled as he patted the coroner on the shoulder before he stood up and stared at the bullet hole in the door behind the body. Although the spent bullet had lodged in the door after passing through the victim's head, it was no longer there. Scratch marks around and in the hole left behind, instantly told Steve that shooter had taken the time after the murder to dig it out. Stepping back, Steve glanced around, not surprised to find there were no visible shell casings on the ground. Someone had taken the time to clean up after the murder.

OoOoOoO

Chewing the top of his pen, Benjie re- read the report he was writing about how he had gone in search of Tommy Rollins to bring him in for questioning about this morning’s raid, but instead of finding Tommy alive, he had found small snitch’s body in the alley where Tommy was known to carry out his petty drug transactions.  Satisfied with what he had written about how, after finding Rollin’s body, he had followed procedure, immediately cordoned off the crime scene and radioed it in.

Hearing another car pull up near him, he looked up, just in time to see the two Five-O officers alight from their car and head into the alley. His top lip curled up into a hateful snarl as he watched McGarrett stroll into the crime scene like he thought that he was someone special, stopping briefly to talk to Roberts, probably to tell the captain that he was taking over the case, before kneeling to examine Rollin’s body.

He shook his head in disgust, as he looked back down at the note book he held in his hand to add the final details to his ‘report’, unable to believe that the kid and McGarrett had not only been partners but also had once been friends. He needed to teach the kid not to be so trusting because one day trusting the wrong person was going to get him killed.

 He snorted softly as his grip on the pen tightened, Hell, he had trusted Chris and Sam to watch not only his, but also Brian’s, Adam’s and Danny’s backs, during the raids and they had let him down and it was his own trust in Rollins not to set them up today had almost got Danny killed. And Danny had trusted McGarrett to not only be his partner and mentor but also his friend, but McGarrett had tossed the young man aside, without a second thought, after the younger man had dared to disagree with him.

Well from now on, his new motto and the motto he was going to drum into Danny was going to be “Trust no one but each other!” and that included McGarrett!

After giving his ‘report’ a final cursory reading, he snapped his notebook closed, jumping in surprise as he heard a soft rap on the window beside him, a heartbeat before the car door opened and Roberts leaned inside. Handing the Narcotics captain the report he had just completed before the other man could even speak, Benjie cleared his throat. “Umm look, Tom, I know I disobeyed orders and I am really sorry but…”

Accepting Benjie’s closed notebook, Roberts sighed, “I know you are Benjie, and to be honest if it was my partner who was shot today, I probably would have gone looking for my snitch as well to get some answers. But you ignored my explicit orders, given to you in front of the top cop on  the islands, to return to the station, and we both know that I have no choice but to report your actions and bring you up on charges in front of the disciplinary board.”

“I know…” Benjie nodded.

“Also, I don’t know what issues you have with McGarrett over what happened between him and your partner but whatever they are I want you to put them behind you. I am handing this case over to McGarrett and Five-O and I expect you co-operate fully and to fill him in on the case that you and Danny have been working on-”

“But-” Benjie began to protest.

“No buts, just do it!” Roberts ordered, the tone of his voice instantly warned Benjie that the older man was in no mood for any arguments.

“Okay, Cap,” Benjie nodded reluctantly.

Placing his hand on the back of his detective’s shoulder as Benjie climbed out of the car, the tone of Roberts’ voice softened, “Look Benjie, I know you want to find the son of the bitches who are responsible for setting us up, I do as well. But we need help to get the bastards and McGarrett’s the best man I know to do the job.”

Casting a quick glance over his shoulder at McGarrett who was studying the bullet hole in the door before looking down to search for any spent shells, Benjie slid his hand into his pocket, his fingers curling around the bullet and casing hidden there as he turned back to Robert and agreed, “You’re right, Tom, I’ll promise, I will co-operate … and so will Danny…”

“Good man!” Roberts smiled with relief as he patted Benjie’s shoulder, “Now get your ass back to the station and get that report typed out. McGarrett is going to want to see it as soon as he’s finished here.”

Benjie gave a single, curt nod before he turned and headed back to his car.

OoOoOoO

Garlic! It was the faint, bitter taste of garlic in the back of his dry throat that greeted Danny as the darkness began to lift. He swallowed hard as his stomach threatened to rebel. His head felt like it was full of cotton wool, his body felt as heavy as cement and the strange sensation of something covering his mouth and nose, blowing warm moist air only made his nausea worse. This had to be the worse hangover that he had ever had, although he had no memory of even drinking. In fact, he had no memory at all at how he had even come to be in bed.

He took a deeper breath, wincing as a sharp pain lanced through his stomach as he weakly lifted his hand up to his face to remove the offending item from his face. But his attempt was foiled when a hand firmly grabbed his, preventing him from doing so and his hand was lowered back down to the bed as a soft female voice gently scolded him, "Whoa, hey, that has to stay where it is, young man, it's helping you breathe."

Forcing his heavy eyelids open, Danny found himself staring up into a blurry face hovering above his own. "Wh…?" he managed to mumble as he blinked, trying to bring the face above him into focus.

"Where are you?"

Danny nodded slowly as the nurse's face came into focus and he slowly become aware of the soft beep of a heart monitor beside his bed and the soft hiss of oxygen as it flowed to the oxygen mask on his face. In his peripheral vision he could see two IV bags hanging above the bed, their tubes snaking down towards him.

"You're in Queens Hospital," the nurse told him softly as she took a syringe from the kidney tray on the table next to the bed and carefully injected the needle into one of the IV bungs, carefully depressing the plunger as she spoke, "you were shot in the stomach during some sort of a raid."

After a few seconds delay as he tried to comprehend what the nurse was telling him through the strange fuzziness of his mind, Danny nodded again as he struggled to keep his eyes open. "Steve…" he murmured, "he…okay?"

"Steve?" the nurse frowned before she smiled down at him and patted his arm, "Ohh, you must mean your partner, Detective Melendez, he's fine."

Danny shook his head in confusion, finding it hard to think. 'No, no, Melendez wasn't his partner, Steve was…'. He took a deep shuddering breath as he remembered that he was no longer Steve's partner, he was no longer in Five-O. He had transferred across to Narcotics and he was Benjie's partner now. A single tear slid from the corner of his eye and rolled down the side of his face as his eyes slid closed and the darkness slowly pulled him back into its silent and painless embrace as he remembered that Steve and he were not even friends anymore.


End file.
